Optimal forest species mixture with carbon storage and albedo effect for climate change mitigation

Accounting for carbon storage and the albedo effect through Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) or manda- tory offset permits aims to internalize the environmental externalities of forest management. This can shift the economically optimal rotation age, and incorporate rents for a wider range of ecosystem service offerings. A mixed stand economic optimization model was used to determine the optimal stand mixture and inter-species climate regulation trade-offs. Mixed forest dynamics between deciduous silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) and coniferous Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.) were evaluated. The sensitivity of our results to the absolute species-specific differences in albedo parameter values was also conducted. Results indicated that a synergistic climate regulation trade-off between the two species exists. The optimal rotation for the combined carbon stor- age and albedo effect was equivalent to that of the carbon storage only case. Differences in absolute albedo im- pacts were most sensitive at high discount rates, for ‘climate only’ management, and over increasing offset prices. These results demonstrate the importance of parameter certainty in the promotion of PES in forestry. They also show that mixed stands can promote more efficient trade-offs between forest ecosystem service offerings and provide a basis for diversifying between ecosystem functions.Peer reviewe

An economic analysis of hardwood treatment in loblolly pine plantations--a whole rotation dynamic programming approach

To accomplish an economic evaluation of vegetation management in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) at regeneration and a subsequent release time, two existing growth models were linked together in a dynamic programming analysis. The first model (Burkhart and Sprinz, 1984) provides a projection of stands regenerated with varying hardwood components but does not allow intermediate thinning or release entries. The second model (Cao et a/.,, 1982) permits density control through intermediate thinning in pure conifer stands without hardwoods. The combined growth model covers a whole rotation and, hence, vegetation control, intermediate thinnings, and final harvest can be optimized jointly. The resulting analytic model can be used to assess most vegetation management and thinning alternatives including site preparation treatment without subsequent density control of hardwoods. It excludes alternatives that involve conifer density control without previous or concurrent total hardwood removal. The performance of the model indicates that the dynamic programming formulation was able to characterize the economic problem and the interrelationships between vegetation management and further stand development. The economic gains with high interest rates (8 Z) are comparable to current vegetation management costs experienced, while at lower rates the gains are several times current costs. Additional insights to vegetation management impacts are provided through observations on the rotation lengthening impact of any sizeable hardwood component, and through the Impacts of hardwood vegetation on both volume and large diameter tree production. The optimization model also gives new opportunities for analysis of pure loblolly pine stands. The three dimensional dynamic programming network takes Into account the acceleration in diameter growth resulting from thinnings. Quality premiums in sawtimber prices and thinning entry costs can be varied to provide flexibility for economic analysis. Keywords: Dynamic programming optimization, economic analysis, loblolly pine (Pinus Teede L.), thinning regime, vegetation management.Keywords: thinning regime, economic analysis, loblolly pine (Pinus Teede L.), , Dynamic programming optimization, vegetation managemen

Forest owners’ views on storing carbon in their forests

Given the high percentage of private forest ownership in Finland, family forest owners have an important role in mitigating climate change. The study aims to explore Finnish family forest owners' perceptions on climate change and their opinions on increasing carbon storage in their forests through new kinds of management activities and policy instruments. The data consists of thematic face-to-face interviews among Helsinki metropolitan area forest owners (n = 15). These city-dwellers were expected to be more aware of and more interested in climate change mitigation than forest owners at large. Forests as carbon fluxes appear to be a familiar concept to most of the forest owners, but carbon storage in their own forests was a new idea. Four types concerning forest owners' view on storing carbon in their forests could be identified. The Pioneer utilizes forestland versatilely and has already adopted practices to mitigate climate change. The Potential is concerned about climate change, but this is not seen in forest practices applied. The Resistant is generally aware of climate change but sees a fundamental contradiction between carbon storing and wood production. The Indifferent Owner believes that climate change is taking place but does not acknowledge a relation between climate change and the owner's forests.Peer reviewe

Social dimensions of a forest-based bioeconomy : A summary and synthesis

How perceptions of the forest-based bioeconomy differ across country contexts and social groups is important as it opens possibilities for the development of more inclusive, locally and socially relevant bioeconomy policies and strategies. Therefore, this special section explores the social dimensions of the forest-based bioeconomy by focusing on discourses and perceptions of different actor groups in Europe. We introduce six articles that range from review and discursive approaches to consumer studies. The section adds to the existing literature by focusing not only on political decision makers, stakeholders, and experts but also on the public, media and students. Patterns in the presented discourses and perceptions can be identified but more is needed to validate these and respond to the question of representativeness.Peer reviewe

Cost function approach to water protection in forestry

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) strongly emphasizes that all water polluting sectors must enhance the protection of water bodies in a cost-effective way. River Basin Management Plans need to be made to achieve a good environmental status for all water bodies by 2027 at the latest. This article examines three principal water protection measures used in forestry: buffer zones, overland flow fields and sedimentation ponds. We analytically develop marginal abatement cost functions for each of these measures and apply them numerically for the Finnish forestry. We find that the marginal abatement costs of nutrients using buffer zones in clear-cut mineral soil forests are very high, as they entail leaving financially mature and uncut trees. In contrast, the marginal costs of using overland flow fields in conjunction with ditch cleaning and clear-cutting in peatlands are very low. Furthermore, for sediments using overland flow fields as a water protection measure entails significantly lower abatement costs than does using sedimentation ponds in conjunction with ditch cleaning in peatland forests. A cost-effective solution in a river basin entails that the highest nutrient reductions are made in agriculture but that forestry also does its share. A cost-effective allocation of abatement measures entails that the proportions of the overall nutrient reduction are 3% (1%) in forestry and 97% (99%) in agriculture when the reduction target is set as 10% (30%).Peer reviewe

Effects of Catastrophic Insect Outbreaks on the Harvesting Solutions of Dahurian Larch Plantations

Optimal harvesting under pest outbreak risk was studied on a set of even-aged Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii) stands in northeastern Inner Mongolia, China. The effects of catastrophic pest outbreaks caused by the Siberian moth (Dendrolimus sibiricus) on the economic harvesting plan are compared through both deterministic and stochastic cases. Stand simulation is based on an individual-tree growth system. A scenario approach is applied when simulating the effects of catastrophic pest outbreaks. Insect damage is assumed to be a Poisson process with an average rate of 0.1 per year. One hundred scenarios of insect damage are created using the Poisson process to simulate the distribution of bare land value of each of the optimal regimes. Numerical results show that the optimal rotation is shortened with an increasing probability of a catastrophe. The average bare land values in the stochastic case are approximately 14.8% to 22.9% lower. Numbers of thinnings are decreased for most plots when seeking a highest bare land value, compared to the deterministic optima. If given a constant thinning rate, increasing risk-taking shortens the optimum rotation, as the model set used.Peer reviewe